Lonely
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: Our town was scary. Kids disappear all the time. Kids my age. Kids vanish, and when they're found, they're cut up, bloody, dead. It's lonely, being here, being friends with everyone out of fear. Because, really, when everyone's your friend, no one is.


This is an original story of mine, remade to fit Danny Phantom.

|_0|\|3|_`/

Our town was scary. Kids disappear all the time. Kids my age.

We all know each other here. I guess you could say we're all friends. Or we try to be. I'm sure kids are picky about their friends in other towns, but here, a kid will beg to be your friend, just so they don't have to walk home alone. I should know, I've done the same.

But it's _lonely,_ being here, being friends with everyone. Because, really, when everyone's your friend, no one is.

Then, there's what happens to the kids who disappear. It's bad enough that most of the Parents in the town would rather abort or adopt out the kids. Then, those who _do_ have kids have to live in fear of their kids being taken and—

Well, it wasn't pretty. It never was. I found a body one time. She had spoken with me just the day before.

Her throat was cut. And her legs. And her arms. And her chest. Her heart was on the ground next to her. A blade was sticking out of it. The grass was red. The air smelled like copper. I soon added the colors and smells of vomit to the scene. But then I stood over by the trees and dialed the police and waited, like we all were taught to do.

They didn't find her killer. They never did. The Parents were horrified. They always were. The kids hoped they weren't next.

But we all knew better. It could happen to any of us, at any time. We all just anxiously waited for high school. Once you hit ninth grade, you were safe. I had one more year. I just had to make it another year….

There was another body last night. It had been just three weeks since the last one, a boy. This one had been a girl in my math class. Her lungs were missing, I'd heard, and the heart was stabbed and removed. Again. The police always said it was some signature, some part of a ritual or something. No one in town was into that kinda stuff, though.

But all the kids talked. We all had theories. My personal favorite was that there was a monster in the forests. Theirs was that the killer would be appeased if they gave it a sacrifice. I heard them whispering all the time. They'd always mention my name, saying, "We could give Sammy to him." I knew they didn't like me, but I'd at least _try _to get along with them, not say we might as well _sacrifice_ one of them!

But I guess when you live everyday in fear that you'll be killed, you get a bit desperate.

I ignored the other kids. I'd been doing it for years, so it wasn't any trouble. After all, they weren't _really _my friends. Friends don't want to sacrifice friends. I went home and went to my room. This is where my _true_ friends were.

My mom had collected dolls when she was little, then passed them down to me. I collected even more. Now, my room was full of dolls of all shapes and sizes. I loved them. They were nicer than the kids at school. They were friendly. I loved my dolls. When I was playing with them, I could forget even the killings. I felt safe with them.

And I didn't feel lonely.

|_0|\|3|_`/

It's lonely, moving to a new town. Especially one like Amity Park, where all the kids knew each other. They whispered about the new boy, thinking he didn't hear them. But the weird thing was that they all kept saying stuff about a monster getting him. Which was _so_ stupid. No one in his old school believed in monsters any more. Not since like third grade.

But here, eighth graders were freaking about how he'd get snatched since he said he was walking home alone. He lived just at the edge of town, far from any other house. There's no point walking home with someone if one of them would have to go so far out of the way. Seriously, did these kids have _any_ common sense?

Besides, he'd lived in NYC before this. No stupid monster was gonna scare him.

"Hey, new guy!" someone called to him.

He rolled his eyes. That had to be the worst part of all. No one here even bothered to listen for his name when the teacher introduced him. "It's Danny," he told them.

"Is it true you're walking home alone, new guy?" Their eyes were wide.

"Yep." He shoved his hands into his pockets, tuning them out as they ranted to him about the monster. Across the hall, a little girl in pigtails, Sammy, he thought, was asking people to walk home with her. Some guy finally agreed.

"And if you _do_ go towards the forests—!"

"Hey, I've gotta go," Danny said, cutting off the kid who was ranting at him. As they stuttered at him, he walked away, towards his home.

Off in the distance were the little girl and the guy, which was weird. Danny's family was the only one that lived out here.

Weren't they?

He shrugged it off and went home.

|_0|\|3|_`/

The new kid, Danny, seemed interesting. I hoped that he wouldn't agree with the other kids' idea about sacrificing someone, me, to the monster.

A boy was missing for roll call this morning. We all knew what that meant. I heard Danny scoff when someone explained to him that missing roll meant the monster'd gotten you. I was confused. How could he not believe in monsters? Mom always said the biggest monsters were in the big cities, like the one Danny said he came from. Maybe his parents protected him from the monsters.

I wish the Parents could protect us.

It was during lunch that they told him about sacrificing me. He didn't like it. He actually told them off!

He told them it was a stupid idea. "If someone is killing people, they won't stop just because they're given a victim. They've gotta be caught and imprisoned."

I was _so_ happy. He didn't agree with them! Someone else in town finally realized how stupid that idea was! I was walking on air all day.

I was so excited that, when I was asking around that afternoon for someone to walk home with, I asked him. I immediately clapped my hands over my mouth, but the damage had been done.

He shrugged and said, "Sure."

My eyes went wide. Well, wider, if that was possible. Then, I grinned, said, "Let's go," and we went on our way.

I talked happily with him along the way, but he didn't say much. I mentally shrugged it off. He must be shy. I was still floating.

The body brought me crashing back down. I gasped, covering my mouth. I wouldn't throw up this time.

Danny was already calling the police. When he hung up, he turned to me, asking if I knew him. He kinda paused, then added, "I mean, do you know him _well?_" He nodded at the cut-up body.

I breathed out a, "Yes," eyes tearing up some already. I told Danny how he had walked me home yesterday and that he was my friend. I sniffled, rubbing at my eyes, hoping I wouldn't start bawling in front of Danny. I explained how the last thing he said to me was that he'd do me a favor.

Danny's brow furrowed. He asked, "What favor?"

|_0|\|3|_`/

The air changed. One moment, he was comforting this little, crying girl, the next, she was giggling. His throat was closed off. He couldn't breathe.

The air was suffocating him. The atmosphere was crushing him. And all the while, this little girl was standing, laughing. Her violet eyes were suddenly red, demented. Her black hair flew about, crazy strands whipping about her head. Gone was the little, giddy girl he'd agreed to walk home with. In her place, he was faced with this… evil version of Sammy.

She hadn't answered his question. He didn't need her to. Suddenly, he knew. He remembered the stories his sister had told him. His sister always called them the "true" Disney stories. One was about Alice, based on some game she'd played once.

She's made out to be a sweet girl in the Disney version. In his sister's, she's a demon that goes around, asking for people to—

"Die for me."

Danny blinked. Then he spun around. Sammy was coming at him with a—Holy-crap-how'd-she-get-a-machete?

He dove aside, thanking any god listening that his mom had made him take karate classes.

Sammy turned and came at him again. He grabbed at her wrist but only managed to get his hand sliced up. She paused as he stood again, and she stared blankly at him. "Why won't you die for me?"

He was cradling his cut hand, glaring at her. "Because I'm _not_ dying here!"

She tilted her head like a confused dog. "But, you're my _friend_, right? All my friends agree to die for me…."

"Do you ever _tell_ them what the _favor_ is they're _agreeing_ to?"

"Of course." She actually looked offended.

He raised an eyebrow. "Before or after they agree?"

"After."

He rolled his eyes. "See? They wouldn't have _agreed_ if they'd _known_ what you were asking!"

She drew herself up to his height. "It doesn't matter. _They_ still died for me, and now, _so will __**you!**_"

She charged at him again. This time, he grabbed her wrist without slicing his own hand, but he couldn't stop her momentum quite in time. There was a stinging in his cheek, and he could feel blood trickling down to his neck.

But he had control of her weapon. She struggled with him, kicking and screaming at him. He had a split-second moment where he wondered where the police were. It felt like he called them _years_ ago.

"No! _NO!_ Let go! Let _go!_ I need you to die for me! _Die for—!_"

He pushed forward, twisting her wrist. Something warm splashed his face, and he glanced down at his hands as he felt goo cover them.

The machete had plunged into her stomach. He could barely even see the hilt. He blinked, looking back at her face.

It was calmer again. He thought maybe the good Sammy was back. Then, she pulled the blade out and let go of the hilt, instead grabbing his sliced-up hand.

"Hey—! What're you—?"

She shoved his hand into the wound. He winced, confused at what she was doing and utterly grossed out.

"It's lonely here, all alone. Isn't it?"

Still confused, he nodded. Yeah, it was lonely in this new town….

"But you have your own friends. Don't you?"

For some reason, his old toy chest came to mind, even though he hadn't played with them in a while. His toys were always there for him, even during the move…. He nodded.

"And you'll make friends at school. Won't you?"

Yeah, probably. He nodded.

"And those friends can do you a favor. Right?"

Her voice was getting softer, weaker. He'd forgotten why he'd been so scared before. His wounded hand was whole again.

"_Right?_"

He nodded. Friends do friends favors all the time.

She smiled. "And your _true_ friends will _prove_ their loyalty. They'll die for you and stay with you forever so you'll never be alone again. Won't they?"

A voice in the back of his head, the patronizing one that always seemed to sound like his mom, whispered something to him. He couldn't quite hear. Something about a purse…? No, a curse…?

No. Mom might be superstitious, but even _she_ didn't believe in curses.

He nodded once more.

|_0|\|3|_`/

She smiled, sending out a prayer of thanks that this boy agreed to take on her curse. He, unlike her, was a fighter. He'd do a better job than she ever could. She still felt lonely at times.

This boy, this fighter, would never be lonely again. She would make sure of it.

She sighed and let go.

|_0|\|3|_`/

It had been weeks since that little girl died. I'd tried to save her, but all I succeeded in doing was getting covered in her blood.

People at school felt guilty. They'd always said that they should sacrifice her to the killer, but now she, too, was a victim.

School was still a bit lonely for me, but I dealt with it my own way. I'd go home every day and pull out my old toys. People around town continued to die, but with my toys, I felt safe.

And I didn't feel lonely.

|_0|\|3|_`/

A/N: hrmmm… I think I liked it better when the creepy little girl was named Holly. I miss having the line "Holly. A pretty plant, but deadly. Holly. A cute girl, but… what?"

Anywayz, tell me what you thought!


End file.
